Train, Train, Take Us Away
by Willowbright
Summary: What's a Phantom Thief to do when your Navigator gets Sandman-ed but you've got a laundry list of Mementos Missions to take care of before bedtime? Queen finds herself questioning Joker's laissez-faire leadership and considers her own recently appointed position on the team. For Makoto Niijima Week 2019: Train


**Train, Train, Take Us Away**

Deep in the underground subway, a train coasted to a stop on dusty rails. It's doors creaked open and in the dim lighting, silhouettes of people marched in and out like wind-up robots on a set timer.

**_On your marks._**

Two teens crouched down towards the open train door as if they were participating in the 100 meter dash. One of the boys stood leaning forward with his knees slightly bent, his left foot in front of his right. His best friend, the more experienced runner, crouched in a 4 point start position, hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart, arms straight, with his right foot behind the left.

**_Get set._**

The potential energy stored in their taut muscles waited to be unleashed the instant they saw an opening. They exchanged mischievous grins, daring the other not to chicken out. The former track star gave the signal.

"** _Aaannnnnd_ ****GO!**"

Joker and Skull made a mad dash for the open train doors. Just as it looked like they were about to be absorbed into its eerie crimson light, two gloved hands, one pink and one white, reached out and grabbed them by the collar. The boys were jerked back and fell flat on their backsides.

"What do you two think you're doing!?" Panther snapped.

Skull hacked and spluttered. "What's your problem, Panther? We were just screwing around, right Joker?" He massaged his Adam's apple. "'The hell didja have to grab me by the collar for?"

Panther placed her hands on her hips and glared. "So you and Joker thought it would be a good idea to play chicken with the train?"

"But I'm BOOORREEEDDD!" he whined. "Oi, Fox, is Mona awake yet?"

"I'm afraid not, Skull. However, he's lying in the most interesting position. I am lacking perspective on the sagittal plane for animals...could one of you perhaps turn him over?"

"Here. I'll do you one better!" Skull hopped to his feet and shambled towards the sleep-inflicted cat, lying prone on the ground.

"Mona-Mona! Wakey-wakey! I have sushi for you! Fatty tuna!"

Queen still had Joker by the collar of his darker-than-midnight triple tailed coat. He sat on the ground with his knees curled up, like a scolded child. She gave Panther a somewhat exasperated look. "Are they always like this?"

"You have **no** idea. I'm so glad we have another girl on the team."

"I SAID FATTY TUNA!"

"Skull! Will you shut up?! Are you trying to get us killed?" Panther lunged at him. "That's not gonna help poor Mona!"

"You don't know that!" Skull shot back.

"All you're doing is blowing out his eardrums! Hey! Where are you going? Listen to me! Hey!"

Queen felt the coat she was holding go limp. Joker had silently slipped out of his coat in true Phantom Thief fashion and tugged on his gloves before adjusting the sleeves of his gray shirt.

"For the record, I could have done that at any time."

She handed his coat back. "And I'm supposed to be the reckless one?"

"This coming from the person who charged headlong into battle trying to exploit a Treasure Demon's weakness." he deadpanned, dusting himself off.

She bit her lip.

Whoops. Joke or not, she did take these kinds of criticisms to heart.

"Apologies, Queen."

"This coming from the guy who got too greedy during negotiations. 'I'm not your dad.' - Really?"

He smirked. "Hmph. Touché."

She returned his smirk with a small one of her own.

"But really," he assured her, as he ruffled his coat back into place. "Skull and I weren't actually gonna board the train. We were just messing around."

"Even so, I'd appreciate it if you didn't do something so reckless, joking or not. If you disappeared I don't know what I'd do. Any of you..."

Joker's mouth hung open at her unexpected response and what witty remarks he had before flew away, for Queen suddenly looked distant and almost sorrowful beneath her iron mask.

"I've already had more than one person disappear on me..." she murmured to herself.

"W-what do you mean-"

"Joker," Fox called. "I think we should intervene before-"

**CRASH**

"_Hohshfgsah_! That did not just happen!"

"No way! No way! No way! We are so dead. We just destroyed public property!"

Skull and Panther backed away slowly from the smashed ATM. A couple of copper coins burst out of it.

"Calm down guys. I don't think anyone'll miss that." They both turned to see Joker, head tilted inquisitively, inspecting the remains of the ATM, contemplating something.

Skull bent down to pick up the Grooved Coppers and presented them to their leader. "Hey, these worth anything?"

"Not much. But I know a place that will exchange it for some change. Unless you want to keep it."

"You can have 'em after we get outta here." Skull tossed one in the air and pocketed the other. "Guess this'll have to be my entertainment for now."

He caught the coin in midair then froze and looked around wildly for other random ATM's, metal pipe poised over his head. "Are there any more?!"

Panther grabbed ahold of his red scarf. "Will you stop wandering around?!"

He shoved her off. "Get off my case!"

"I really think we should just wait in the Safe Room." Queen implored. She had just laid Mona on one of the bus seats, checking for any signs of responsiveness. No good. The poor cat was out stone cold. And Fox was just sketching away!

"Fox, what do you think would help Mona wake up faster?"

"Hmm? There's no need to worry about that. The Sandman's spell should resolve on its own. I'm sure he'll wake up sooner or later." he replied absently, as he lightly shaded Mona's tufted ears. "Now, if the station had better lighting..."

She sighed quietly.

Skull and Panther continued to bicker in each other's faces until Joker stepped in with a snack in hand.

"Skull. I will give you this Party in a Can if you promise to stay quiet for five minutes." Joker shook the can the same way a pet owner shakes a bag of cat kibble to summon their cat. Skull stared at the festive wrapping which offered no hint at its contents. A snack he hadn't heard of before? And he was getting pretty hungry.

He joined the rest of the party in the glass paneled bus stop and kicked his feet up.

"Where do you get this stuff anyway?" he asked turning the can over and over.

"Shopping channel."

"Oh! They have the best deals on Sunday. But you have to be quick! People just nab up whatever they sell!" Panther exclaimed. "One time, they were selling this matcha pudding - no wait, Uji Green Tea Pudding but they sold out in like, five minutes! I would've bought ten cases if I didn't already spend my allowance on those pumps! Those shoes were worth it though. But still, that could've been my second dessert for the week!"

"How decadent..." Fox murmured.

"You'd just get fat." said Skull, grinning mischievously at her. She stuck her tongue out.

"Shut it."

"Was it a good deal?" asked Queen.

Joker crossed his legs and leaned back in his seat. "It was a Sunday Special with a huge discount. So yeah, I'd say so."

Skull ate a handful of canned food and looked around the empty station. It was too quiet and he wished they hadn't cleared the floor as quickly as they had. "Now I'm bored again."

"Shh. No talking." Panther whispered, tapping an imaginary wristwatch. "Thirty seconds."

Fox flipped his sketchbook closed and stowed his pencils away.

"This is a most interesting conundrum." he mused. "We are well supplied and armed for battle but we cannot advance without risk of getting lost."

"I guess we could just head back to the entrance." Joker suggested.

"No thanks." Panther crossed her forearms into an "X". "I'm so not walking alllll the way back up all those stairs and escalators. I'd rather wait for Mona to drive us."

"Let's just go." said Skull, kicking at the ground. "If Mona wakes up part way we'll just fill him in. His innate GPS-thing is always on."

Queen shook her head. "Too risky. If we run into an enemy we can't defeat, we won't be able to escape fast enough. Mona is the only one with that capability."

"But Queen, you've got that rad bike. You could just VOOM!" Skull shot his arm forward, making motorcycle engine noises.

She smiled dryly. "I'm afraid Johanna can't carry all of you. And I refuse to abandon my teammates to torment and death."

She heard Joker snicker behind her. She turned around.

"Joker, do you have a map?"

Joker shook his head. "Sorry."

"You got a Persona that can keep track of where we are and stuff?" asked Skull.

Joker shook his head again. "Sorry."

"I suppose I could draw us one." said Fox. Joker considered this.

"You could... But the problem is, the layout of Mementos changes each time we come here."

"And everything looks the same after a while." Panther groaned.

Queen sighed again. She was beginning to wonder how in the world the Phantom Thieves managed to successfully steal hearts. They all seemed so disorganized and if one member went down, the entire party could not move forward. And Joker. What was he thinking letting everyone wait around like this?

_We're wasting time. We should be doing something. _she thought. _But I don't want to overstep my bounds. I'm only the team strategist. Not the leader._

* * *

"Dunno about you guys but I don't wanna stay stuck sitting here all day doin' nothing."

"Skull, where are you going now?" Admittedly, Panther was getting bored too. Keeping an eye on Skull would at least keep her preoccupied.

Skull jogged over to the pile of rubble and machinery that was once an ATM. He waved at them.

"Gather 'round the smashed machine boys and girls! It's time for _scary stories_!"

The smashed ATM machine faded.

"Gather 'round anyway! C'mon. I'll share my Party in a Can with you guys if you do."

Panther joined him, amused. "What is this, an overnight school trip for middle schoolers?"

Joker followed suit, then Fox, and finally Queen who took another glance at the conked-out cat. Still nothing.

"C'mon. I'm just trying to liven things up while we wait for Mona to **wake up**." He passed the Party in a Can to Fox. "Joker, you start."

Joker shoved his hands into his pockets and shifted his weight on one leg. "Okay guys. What if you were by yourself and you needed to use the MetaNav to leave Mementos but then your phone battery died?"

Panther raised her hand. "That's not so bad, we just-"

"And Mona was incapacitated. Like right now."

A mortifying silence permeated the underground subway of the collective unconscious as they all reeled in silent horror. In that moment, everyone vowed to keep their phones fully charged before going out.

Skull coughed. "Dude. Too real."

"You said 'scary'."

"I meant like spooky-scary, like-"

The Mementos train zoomed by again, clacking across the rails at breakneck speed.

"Huh, didn't stop this time." said Panther as they all watched the train disappear into the darkness. The wind from the train disturbed all sorts of scraps and debris around the tracks that floated into the air like dead autumn leaves.

Skull grinned like shark and flipped up his mask.

"Hey, didja ever hear about the Legend of the Haunted Train?"

Queen stiffened. Fox perked up. "Haunted Train?"

"They say that there's this old, old train station at some port island or something? I think it's on an island. Anyway, there roams a train with no number…or driver. Yet it runs on its own. And every full moon past the twelfth hour, when the sky turns into an icky green, it shows up at one of the regular lines. They say when the doors open, everything's flooded with a bright red light and the victims who see it are hypnotized! They march into the cars - like zombies, becoming unwitting passengers of the Haunted Train...and are never seen again!"

Panther gulped. Fox nodded eagerly waiting for the next part. Joker folded his arms enjoying Skull's animated storytelling. Behind him, Queen stood erect like a sentry, but in reality was frozen stiff.

"So...where do they go?" Panther asked, half-wanting to know, half-hoping she wouldn't regret hearing the answer.

Skull looked around conspiratorially. "Legend has it that it goes allll the way down there."

Then he went silent for a moment. Panther and Fox craned their heads forward.

"...Down there?" Fox whispered, not wanting to disrupt the tension of Skull's ghost story.

"TO THE FIREY UNDERWORLD!" he boomed.

They all jumped.

"LALALALALA!" Panther clamped her hands over her ears and fled towards the Safe Room. "Train Train Take Us Away. Take Us Away Far Away. To the Future We Will Go. Where It Leads No One Knows."

Skull chased her, waving his arms in the air like a manic monkey. "Spooooky~~~!"

Fox quickly scooped up Mona before he could be knocked to the floor and trampled underfoot. "Wait, you two; we're supposed to be quiet-"

Queen subtly sidled over to Joker's side and hid her face behind his shoulder. Joker glanced at her and said nothing. He merely smirked and turned his head away, sliding his hands into his coat pockets.

As they watched Skull chase Panther around in a circle, Joker whispered to Queen, "Where do you suppose the subway goes?"

She put a hand to her chin and thought for a bit. "Well, all the trains we see can't be the same one, right? In order to cover the sheer size of this place in a certain amount of time, there has to at least two trains cycling through each floor in a loop. Just look at Tokyo's transit system. It runs on 9 lines, stopping at more than 170 different stations, and operates on an average of 195 km for the total route. And that's just the Tokyo Metro alone. And if Mementos is based on the public's cognition of the subway, I assume it functions analogously. I suppose if we really wanted to find out, we'd just follow the train tracks."

"What a thorough analysis. You really were the right choice for our team strategist." He smirked again but this time, there was admiration in his eyes.

"You're the one who asked." Queen looked down and fiddled with the ends of her hair.

He laughed good-naturedly. "Where were you when I was looking for the Ginza Line?"

"That reminds me, you've been here for a few months now. How have you been adjusting?"

"The subway map doesn't look like a crazy conspiracy board anymore and I think I'm getting used to being smushed against the window during rush hour." he said wryly.

She lifted a hand to her mouth and laughed. Whatever fright she felt from Skull's scary story had completely dissipated.

Skull and Panther ran by in a circle and they both sidestepped out of the way.

"Imma getcha!" They heard Skull say, booing like a ghost. Panther shrieked and ran faster.

Joker rolled his eyes. Queen giggled some more.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?" she asked, in between giggles.

"Earlier, it seemed like something was bothering you. Sucks that we're stuck here, doesn't it?"

She stopped laughing and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Oh, that's not - I mean, how did-"

"Just a feeling." Joker stared at his boots for a few seconds before meeting her eyes again. "I wouldn't be surprised if anyone was annoyed."

She bit the inside of her mouth. Guilty as charged.

"This is the first time I've seen a status ailment affect one of us this long. And it just so happens to be our Navigator and expert on this place." he muttered, gripping a fistful of his hair.

"And no medicine to cure said sleep ailment."

He shook his head for the third time that day. "Sorry. And before you ask, no Persona either."

They sighed at the same time.

"It is frustrating. The situation. Not you." She squeezed her hands together. "I apologize. I admit I was thinking we were wasting time. I did want to confront you about it but I didn't know how to tell you without sounding like I was criticizing you or questioning your leadership. I'm just a newcomer after all."

"Queen…"

"I have to remember Mementos is unpredictable. None of us know how it all works. All we can do is not let our guard down and adapt to the situation. We've gotten out of dangerous situations before thanks to your adaptability." She shyly bopped her fist on his shoulder, remembering how they covered each other's back at Kaneshiro's Bank. "You're doing your best. But if you'll allow me to make a suggestion, I think we should just go home since it doesn't seem like Mona will wake up any time soon."

Joker looked back at Mona, stretched out on one of the bus seats. Fox had resumed his drawing.

"Yeah. If Mona doesn't wake up in the next ten minutes, let's just head back to the entrance. It's a long trek but we should be able to handle it."

She nodded in agreement. "We'll be fine. If Panther doesn't want to climb all those stairs, I guess I'll just carry her."

"Just tell her it'll be good for her glutes. She's a model." he added, after Queen gave him an inquisitive look.

Then he gave her an encouraging smile and patted her on the shoulder. "Next time you got something on your mind, don't hold back. We can talk about it. You're part of this team now."

"Oh." For the first time, Queen understood what it meant to be included. She smiled warmly. "Thank you, Joker. And thank you for listening."

Joker flicked his mask down and pretended to direct his attention to Skull and Panther who were once again, arguing in each other's face. "Y-yeah. Hang on. I'll be right back."

"Alright children, no fighting."

They both stopped and looked up at him. After a moment, Panther unpinched Skull's cheeks and they collapsed on the floor.

"I'm tired." Skull groaned.

"I want water." said Panther, fanning herself.

"Here." said Queen, handing everyone a bottle of Udagawa Water. "Stay hydrated, everyone."

"Thanks, mom." Skull drained the bottle in one go, then threw himself on one of the seats and stretched out his legs. Panther sat opposite of him, resting her eyes.

Joker stifled a laugh.

"I'm not-" she sighed and shrugged. "Well, it's fine."

Fox raised one hand. "Don't worry about me. I always keep a bottle of tap water on me if I ever feel parched."

Queen placed the bottle next to him, away from his art supplies. "Just take it. You might need it later."

"That is a fair point. Thank you."

After making sure everyone had enough water, Queen drank from her own bottle.

Joker checked his phone for the time.

"You guys rest. I'll keep watch."

* * *

Joker leaned against a pillar, scanning the tracks and the long hallways for suspicious signs of movement. The vein-like tendrils that wrapped around its base always looked as though they would come to life and ensnare unsuspecting victims. Halloween central. That's what Mementos was. Joker entertained the idea of a Mementos themed Haunted House. _What am I thinking? School festival's months away. And no one wants to do a haunted house. I can hear it now. 'Boring!' 'Cliché!'_

Out of his periphery he noticed someone was standing a hand span apart from him. It was Queen, following his gaze out into the empty tunnels. Her two-toned navy and black Phantom Thief suit blended in with the the dusky blue lighting.

"Was it really that fun?" she asked quietly. She looked out into the distance, finding the vanishing point where the railroad tracks converged.

"What, the train? Helps with stopping on a dime, if anything."

She gave him a skeptical look.

He pushed off the pillar to face her. "Think of it as becoming more proficient with your Metaverse-enhanced physical capabilities. Besides, you probably won't ever get to do this out in the real world."

"Increasing one's proficiency, huh? Well, when you put it that way it sounds kind of cool."

His teeth glinted. "Oh? Is that respect, I hear?"

She scoffed and punched him lightly on the shoulder. He chuckled warmly and she turned her head, hiding a growing smile.

Just then, a train appeared and screeched to a halt. The doors hissed open and shadows began boarding from both sides of the station.

Joker's eyes danced with mischief. Queen lifted one eyebrow, not one to back down from a challenge.

They looked at the train then back at each other. Upon the spur of the moment, Joker sprang forward giving him a head start.

"Charge Johanna!"

Johanna roared to life and in a flash of neon blue, Queen sped past Joker and seamlessly wheeled around sideways, cutting in front of him. He howled with laughter as his coattails billowed in the slipstream. The air crackled and snapped with nuclear energy as Queen skidded to a stop right between him and the train doors. Sparks flew from her steel-capped boots scraping the ground as an additional brake. Queen smirked at Joker as the train departed the station but he only increased his speed and right when she thought he would collide into her, he somersaulted through the air, above her and Johanna. Queen flinched and shut her eyes, expecting him to land on the tracks - if he didn't slam into the caboose first. She opened her eyes when she felt something land on the back of her bike's frame and turned to find Joker there, perched like a owl, hands folded over his knees, and grinning wildly like a hyena.

"Didn't think you had it in ya." he panted, grinning all the while.

"You're not the only one who's full of surprises." She grinned back in spite of herself, taking a few moments to catch her breath. "Has your opinion of me changed a little?"

Vivacity radiated from her intense gaze. A rush of excitement washed over Joker. He would later describe this feeling as "enthrallment". Enthralled. He was enthralled by the Queen.

He chuckled to himself as he hopped off and casually smoothed his hair back.

"Well, I think- oof!"

Skull suddenly cut in, elbowing Joker aside. She raised a concerned hand towards Joker but Skull shoved his monkey-face in her line of sight.

"QUEEN! That was AWESOME! Wanna switch your Johanna with my Kidd just once? I wanna ride a bike too!"

"Uh, I don't know about that..." she mumbled, her attention still on Joker who was rubbing his side.

"C'mon! It'll be fun! He's got a cool ship. Don'tcha like cool ships?"

"Were that cameras worked in this place." Fox lamented. "Such speed! Such power! The air around you, irradiating with atomic energy. The way your scarf and his coat flowed in the wind. The fire in both of your eyes! That was a moment worth a thousand - no ten thousand words!"

Panther grabbed Queen by the shoulders, shaking her excitedly. "That was like something out of an action movie! You should totally be a stuntwoman!"

The Phantom Thieves swarmed Queen chattering and laughing over each other.

Unsure of how to react to being the center of attention, or even praise for that matter, Queen glanced at Joker. He gave her a small nod and smirked the way he usually did in these kinds of situations but it bore warmth she had never known until now. It was a kind of warmth that washed over her, imbuing her with a sense of…what? What did one call this inexplicable feeling?

Queen did not have the words to describe it but she knew she wanted to know more about this feeling.

Skull snapped his fingers. "I got it! Badass Biker Chick! THAT should be your codename from now on."

She smiled primly. "Thanks. But no, thanks. I like my codename."

Panther looped her arms around Skull's shoulders in a playful chokehold before he could come up with weirder nicknames.

"We all do. Especially Joker. Guy with the naming sense." she teased with a wink.

He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "Er, I uh. Well...it just sorta came to me. Spur of the moment, y'know?"

"I feel as though that was the case for each one of us." Fox remarked.

Everyone burst into laughter and Queen joined in.

"**WHY ARE YOU GUYS BEING SO LOUD?!**" yowled a grumpy voice from the Safe Room.

"Mona-Mona!"

"You're awake!"

Skull and Panther sprinted back to where Mona sat.

"Thank goodness. We were so worried!" Queen smiled in relief and looked back at Joker. He held up one hand signaling the number nine with his fingers. _Nine minutes._

They all gathered in the Safe Room.

"I fall asleep for two seconds and you guys just party away? Some stealthy Thieves you are! I oughta- _mrowr_~!"

"C'mere you!" Panther cuddled his giant head. The irate cat had been successfully appeased in Panther's arms.

Fox knelt beside him. "Mona, have you fully recovered? Are you still feeling groggy? That Sandman's spell seemed quite potent."

"Dude, you were out for hours."

Mona's eyes rolled to the back of his head in shock. "Hours?! What were you guys doing this whole time?"

"Waiting for you!" said Panther cheerfully. "Right, Queen?"

"Yep, just sitting and waiting!" said Queen, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Fox tilted his head quizzically. "Up until ten minutes ago-"

"Fox was sketching you! And I think he finished." Panther interrupted.

"Really?" Mona sat up a little straighter. "Hope you got my good side. Show me later, 'kay?"

"It's only a rough draft. I'll show you the finished product later if I have time."

"Yeah, later." Joker pinched the bridge of his nose. "Skull, don't freak him out like that. It's only been a little more than an hour. Ish. Anyway Mona, how are you feeling now? You kept us waiting. Couldn't start the mission without you."

"Really? You were waiting for _me_?" He shook his head and wiggled his ears. "I'm okay. Excuse me, Lady Ann. Hup!"

He leaped down and stood in the center of their loose group circle. "That was unsightly of me getting hit by a weak spell like that. We might have lost some time but we will not let that stop us! I'm ready to fight now."

Then Mona asked the question everyone was thinking. "Joker, do we keep exploring? Should we go down another level?"

All eyes were on the leader of the Phantom Thieves. He put a hand on his chin. "Well now, let me see…"

He looked at each one of his teammates, locking eyes with the girl who stood reliably on his right. The analyst, their Team Strategist, his second-in-command. "Queen!"

She squared her shoulders and drew herself to full height. "Yes, Joker?"

"How should we proceed? I could use some input from our strategist."

All heads turned to her. She nodded at each of her teammates.

"First of all, give me a status report on your condition. Are you all ready?"

Affirmative grunts and salutes all around. "We're combat ready!" they chorused.

"Excellent. Mona, can you sense the Shadow of one of our targets?"

Mona tensed his body, pupils dilated, ears erect. The tip of his tail twitched. "One level down, Queen. Very close."

"Then let's take care of that one first. We will prioritize what requests we've received on the Phan-site and avoid all other battles as much as possible. Do you find this acceptable, Joker?"

"Alright. Let's do this." Joker slipped his mask on and tugged his gloves into place.

Mona transformed into the Monamobile. "Let's blow this popsicle stand!"

Everyone piled in. As they descended to the lower floor of Mementos, a hulking Shadow emerged in their path.

"Whoa!" Queen cried. She locked the wheel, stepped on the clutch, and pulled the handbrake. The bus kicked forward and spun in a tight circle, narrowly dodging the lumbering obstacle. She released the clutch and straightened out the wheel, righting their position and continued down the road in a straight line. "Sorry about that."

Skull clutched the backseat, laughing uncontrollably, absolutely stoked. "Yo Queen, d'you think you could drift in this car like you did with your Persona?"

"Wait, WHAT?" honked the Monamobile. "What'd I miss? What'd I miss?!"


End file.
